Overhead sheet transporting and discharge device



R. NEBOLSINE Oct. 25, 1949.

OVERHEAD SHEET TRANSPORTING AND DISCHARGE DEVICE 3 Shee'tls-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1947 at) IIVVENTOR. 'IMPJ ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1949. R. NEBOLSINE 2,486,196

OVERHEAD SHEET TRANSPORTING AND DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed April 9, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z lhrWENTgR. 7/ gum Oct. 25, 1-949. R. NEBOLSINE OVERHEAD SHEET TRANSPORTING AND DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed April 9, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 25, 1949 stares PM *UVERHEAZD SHEET TRAN SPOR DINGrAND DISGHA'RGE-D-ENIGE "RosslilbdlsinejNew York- N. "Y.

:Application April9, 1947,'-Serial- No. 1240;329 .aclsims. (01521-1 74) invention -=rlates to ain overhead or overhanging belt-conve'yorfor 'feeding anddischar' -in-g sheet's, andsparticularl-y sheets =of low cohesiveness and strength. ;;'-1 he{device employs bcth vacuum andpress'ure; being-adapted-to feed under vacuum and *to discharge :un'der :pressure, and the device is adapted to so discharge asto stack the sheets. 7 I I} v lhedev ice-is entirely automatic. In-the form illustratedin the drawings ayplurality oflaterally I spaced chambers'are provided within a-perforated or -oraminous teed =-belt, which is sealed at its upper-length bya-suitable means, as for example, a continucus topidler belt. Automatic means-is lprovide'd ior timing the-eflectpf alternate vacuum and pressure in a :pluralityof chambers to .permit :progressive feed action upon a sheet, by vacuum within certain of the chambers-synchronously with-themovement of each-sheet until the release-point of eachsheetis reached the vacuum then being broken --and pressure simultaneously applied within-the appropriate chamberor chambers- "for positively discharging tho -sheet into a stack-onto any=other suitable reception point.

-In-theembodimentdllustrated'inthedrawings, the chambers-"are laterally bounded by-a plurality of continuously rotating and-mutually contacting rollers, the surface of which are provided with such-material as to seal passage of-air. orsgas-between-themand'the outermost ofthe rollers are in-abutment-with-the endless foraminous belt.

--Ina -modification, :the vertical -sets of rollers are separated by --vacuum-pressure-boxes. These various arrangements end the invention, as a -whole, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawingsginwhich: V =Eig:- l is a view' in :elevation,rpartly-broken away, illustrating an embod-iment'of the-invention.

Fig;-'2Ais-a schematic view in-elevation toillustrate the drivingconnection.

Fig. 'ZB-is-a schematic-view-in--elevation showing a-modified form of drive.

'-1 ig. -3 is a transversesectional elevation taken on the;line3--3,-F ig. 1. I A

Fig. 4 isan'dsometric view-oftherprimarwelements illustrated in Fig--11,anddnlongitudinal p M Fig. 5-is a 'fragmentarysection on line 5'-5, Fig. 1.

:Fig. 6 is;a plan view lpartly insection, and schematically showing -the jfpriniaiy "wiring elerrierits. w 7

"Frgfirisan isometricrview snowm 'tne vacuum Referring"to"thedftfawings;"andparticularly "to Figs. 1, *3 midis,-irwilrbe seen that the'embodime it therein illustrated consistsoffa-cut slreet receiving and stacking "device l ,'-'tvhich fma'y Abe 6f"'anysuitab1e" construct-10;;- and' whi ch'is Only schematically illustratedfabelt feed *2 1 for tire shet tob'efedgcutand stacked; "thesli-eetbeing '2 shown at .3, a rotary putter 4, and various Jlements which-makeup the vacuumepressure .lements to effect withdrawalandstackidisharge .o'f 'theicut-sheet sections.

"The 'feed "belt ?2 ".is isupportediby spaced llower pressure rollers "5 .anli a ltrainsof idler .ro'llerst. Abovethe loWer..-pres'sure rolle'rs' 5 .laretdriven' top pressure rollers laridithe rotary cutter '4 is moun'ted" between thedriven rpressure .rollers 71. ".Thus thes'heet} as itisfed to the drightin vthe 'drawing embodiments is rollspressedand cut intersections, thcrlatterin turnbing roll-pressed.

'The cut-sheet sections arepushedto a throat consisting of the transversely eiitendingnlip Brand the lower length of apefforatetl endlesslblt 9. This belt runs over spaced rollers T0 "on shafts I {the rollers beingsurfaced with. rubber or other yielding material. Between-the upperwand lower lengths of, erforate'd endless bltll are. provided vacuum-pressure chambers whicharesseparated by sets of vertically arrangedmutuallytengaging rollers, i'dlers being sufficient, "the latter lbeing surfaced with rubber or other'vyieldingmaterial soas'toeifect a tight seal between'their surfaces ari'd'between them and the andless .perforated hbovelperforatd endless belt 9 f is 'anendless top'idlerbelt fi which maybe of rubber. The rollers r3 aremounted err-shafts! 4 "and the'lcwer length ofibeltfl'zs'eals ofiitheupperflength'of the perforated belt '9. "For automaticallycleaningthe latter "so as to "insure that its perforations "will be "left open" and "not clogged fby particles from the "sheet sections 3 a continuously rotating brush l Smaybe employed.

' In addition to the vacummpressure'chambers a -'s"procketlon shaft H in order to drive the perforalted endlcssbelt a third as shown at 2| for rdriv'ing the rear. pressure rollers J, -and-aiourth, shown atZ-l-fordriving the rotary cutter 4.

In'Fig. 2B amo' dified-form-of drive is shown, chains and sprockets beingsub'stituted byshaits and gearing. The=motor I8 'is connected by belt -l-9 --to"a-pulley-23 ona drive shaft 24 having a series 'ofrbeveled-gears"connecting the drive-shaft rotationally witha Stub shaft and drive connections 25 for the brush l 5; a second shaft and drive --connections '26-feather-forward roller l-llaanother shaft 21 and drive connections-"ior the forward roller-shaft II, and like drive elements 28 and 23 for the lower and rear pressure roller and the rotary cutter 4.

In the construction of Fig. '7, which is a modification, the vacuum-pressure chamber separation effected by the sets of rollers I! is substituted by box chambers 30 consisting of closed boxes having perforated base plates 3|. Each box will be provided with a pressure inlet pipe 3| and with a suction pipe 32 and the latter may lead to a vacuum manifold 33. It will be understood that feed rollers will be interposed between the vacuum-pressure boxes 30, in the sense that they need only be idlers for contact with the cuts'heet sections, and hence the major faces of the boxes have been shown channeled for clearance of the rollers. Although three clearances are shown at each face, a single clearance may be provided, or none at all. Either one roller or three may be employed between the boxes.

Reference to Fig. 4 will show that by Roman numerals I have indicated the chambers between the sets of rollers I! and between the end sets and the rollers Ill for the perforated belt 9 as I to XI inclusive. It will also be seen that a cut-sheet 3 has been released and is about to drop into the stacker l, whereas an immediately preceding sheet 3* lies under vacuum-pressure chambers I, II and III. In ordinary practice, chamber I need not have pressure turned into it. In other words, it may be under constant vacuum so as to draw each cut-sheet 3* under the perforated belt 9. The required condition is a drawing movement of each cut-sheet 3 so that it will move to the right 'in the position of Fig. 4 until it lies over the stacker, whereupon the cut-sheet is released by shutting off the vacuum and simultaneous application of pressure. Thus in the movement of the cut-sheet 3 to its position with the front margin thereof slightly over the stacker, as shown in Fig. 4, an operative sequence of conditions within the chambers may be a maintenance of vacuum in chambers I and II followed by vacuum in chamber III. Thereupon vacuum is effected in chamber IV, and also in chamber V if desired, whereupon the cut-sheet will have been moved away from chambers I and II and pressure may be placed in chambers III, IV and V to discharge the sheet into the stacker. I have found that in practice, using the embodiment of Fig. 4, it is feasible to employ a vacuum in chamber I at all times.

It will be understood that the number of vacuum pressure chambers will be varied in accordance with the length of the cut-sheet sections, and that correspondingly different areas will be provided at the receiving end of the stacker.

A typical cycle for the construction shown in Fig. 4 may be as follows:

sheets indicated no pressure or vacuum required.

}Used for larger sheets. For size of Nora: V-Vacuum. P-Pressure. O-Neutral (no connection with pr. or vacuum lines).

The diagrammatic view, Fig. 6, shows that th end plates for the rotary cutter 4 may be employed as switch-actuating members to effect the opening and closing of circuits for solenoid valves operative to control pressure in vacuum within the chambers. Three of the chambers have, in that figure, been diagrammatically shown as chambers I, II and III, and inasmuch as chamber I may, if desired, be continuously under vacuum, valves therefor have been omitted. Chamber I communicates with suction manifold 35 by means of pipe 36. Chamber II is connected to pressure manifold 3'! by means of pipe 38, and with suction manifold 35 by means of pipe 39. Chamber III is connected to pressure manifold 31 by pipe 40 and with suction manifold 35 by pipe 4|. In each of the pipes 38 to 4| is a solenoid valve. Chamber II is controlled by pressure-controlling solenoid valve 42 and suction-controlling solenoid valve 43. Chamber III is controlled by pressure control solenoid valve 44 and suction-control solenoid valve 45.

The rotary cutter carries at its ends conductor discs or plates and 4, which plates are well insulated as by insulation rings 46. Plate 4* receives current from an axial conductor 41 leading to socket plug 48, and disc 4* carries spaced brush contacts which are adapted to move into engagement with brush switches leading to the pressure-controlled solenoid valve so as to make and break the circuit through them in accordance with the conditions required in the vacuum-pressure chambers.

Rotary cutter disc A is provided with an axial contact 49 for a lead connecting with the socket plug 50 and the disc also carries a plurality of brush contacts so that at the proper times they will engage brush contacts electrically connected to the solenoid valves, which control the securing of vacuum within. the chambers. The brush contacts carried by discs 3* and'd are simply designated 5| in Fig. 6. Inasmuch as timing by spaced movable brush contacts for successive and sometimes simultaneous energization and break- 1 ing of circuits through types of electrical controls,

have been highly developed and are well known in the art, the arrangement in this respect has been diagrammatically illustrated only.

By means of my invention, an overhead vacuum-pressure automatic conveyor and stacker is provided which is capable of conveying sheets at high speed and which is particularly adapted for fragile and other sheets which are difficult to handle, means being provided for discharging the sheets at predetermined positions and time intervals. It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and the arrangement of the elements constituting the embodiment illustrated in the drawings without departure from the spirit of the invention. It will be understood that means should be provided for adjusting the positions of the rollers of each set of rollers I! to compensate for wear of their surfaces, and also that similar means should be provided for the belt rollers l0 and I3. The diagrammatic adjusting means 55 is for endwise adjustment of belt I2 and the diagrammatically illustrated adjusting means 55 is for endwise adjustment of belt 9. The adjusting means 56, is, in each case, for vertical adjustment. Also each roller l1.is mounted for vertical adjustment as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1. The specific adjusting means may be as desired and hence is not illustrated in detail.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In overhead sheet transporting and discharging devices, an endless porous belt and means for driving the same, sealing means for the upper face of said belt, end rollers for spacing the lengths of the belt and for sealing it at the end areas in its passage from an upper length to a lower length, and vice versa, a plurality of sets of vertically positioned rollers within said belt, said last named rollers bounding chambers which are sealed by the mutual contact of said rollers, as to each set, from lateral passage of gases, and automatic means applied to a plurality of the chambers for successively eifecting vacuum and break of vacuum therein.

2. In overhead sheet transporting and discharging devices, an endless porous belt and means for driving the same, sealing means for the upper face of said belt, end rollers for spacing the lengths of the belt and for sealing it at the end areas in its passage from an upper length to a lower length, and vice versa, a plurality of sets of vertically positioned rollers within said belt, said last named rollers bounding chambers which are sealed by the mututal contact of said rollers, as to each set, from lateralpassage of gases, and automatic means applied to a plurality of the chambers for successively effecting vacuum and pressure therein.

3. In overhead sheet transporting and discharging devices, a traveling porous belt, means for effecting and breaking suction upon sheets depending from the belt, and also for imposing REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 296,257 Weston Apr. 1, 1884 1,486,306 Schultz Mar. 11, 1924 1,545,915 Maxon July 14, 1925 1,957,621 Styron May 8, 1934 2,019,721 Nejedly Nov. 5, 1935 

